Today I’m sharing the recipe for this Plum and Berry Slice – simply because it needs to be shouted from the rooftops and made in every kitchen, everywhere. Seriously, it’s THAT good. The best thing is that this recipe is the result of using up skanky (over ripe) plums I had sitting in the fruit bowl. I refuse to throw out food (unless it’s out of date or ‘off’ of course) so when I end up with fruit or veg that has sat around too long I am on a mission to find something to do with it.
Ta Da! Hello Plum and Berry Slice. I added berries because I had them in the fridge, but you could just go all plum here if you like.
This slice has a crisp, buttery base – just like a tart shell. I used almond meal in the dough which gives it a kind of nuttiness, but as with anything containing almond meal; a certain richness that makes the biscuity base so moreish! I smothered the base with strawberry jam (because that’s what I had, but any flavour would work) and topped it with sliced plums, strawberries and a good handful of blueberries that had been tossed with a little sugar and cornflour (this encourages the natural juices to thicken as they bake). Finally I grated more of the same dough I used for the base over the top, scattered over some sliced almonds and put it in the the oven.
Oh my God. A masterpiece! The fruit collapses as it cooks and the grated dough on top spreads to envelope it, leaving small windows of deep purple fruit and toasted almonds peeking through. It is a beautiful looking slice; but once cool, and drizzled with a little honey (optional) it is unbelievable. Roasting the fruit accentuates its sweetness; like thick, fresh home-made jam, but with texture. It is almost chewy, like a fresh fruity lolly. The pastry is crisp and buttery, like shortbread. In fact, if you could imagine dipping really good shortbread; buttery, crisp, golden – into thick, home-made jam; chunky with bits of fruit, and taking a big bite so your mouth fills with jam as you crunch into the biscuit and it all kind of jumbles together in your mouth; you know what I mean by yum.
If you have something other than plums lurking in your fruit bowl, by all means use them instead. This recipe is ridiculously versatile. Nectarines, apricots, or peaches would be delicious too.
Plum and Berry Slice
Ingredients:
150g butter, room temperature, diced
120g icing sugar
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
120g almond meal
3 plums, seeded, sliced
handful of strawberries, hulled and sliced
handful of blueberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp strawberry jam
3 tbsp flaked almonds
honey, extra, for drizzling (optional)
Method:
Line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper, allowing extra overhanging on two sides (this makes the slice easier to lift out later).
Beat the butter, icing sugar, honey and vanilla with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and almond meal and fold through to combine. The dough takes a bit of coaxing to come together – I find using hands the best way.
Press around three quarters of the dough into the lined tin; ensuring the dough covers the base evenly. Wrap the remaining dough in cling-film. Put the tin and the extra dough into the fridge for 30 minutes to chill (if you’re in a hurry you can put it in the freezer for half the time).
Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan forced).
While the dough is chilling, put all your fruit into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar and cornflour. Toss to coat.
Once the dough is nice and chilled; spread the base with the jam, then top with the fruit. Arrange everything so it’s in one relatively even layer.
Now, get the extra dough that you wrapped in cling film out of the fridge and use a cheese grater to grate it over the top. There’s not need to try and cover it , just a patchy layer is fine. Sprinkle with the almonds and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove and allow to cool before removing from the tin. To do this, run a knife down the top and bottom edge and use the overhanging baking paper to lift the slice out.
Cut into squares and drizzle with a little honey (if you like) and eat! This doesn’t need anything else but if you want to be indulgent a scoop of vanilla ice-cream would be very nice.
Store the slice in the refrigerator. It will keep for a week, but don’t expect it to last that long as it is very addictive.
Makes 15 squares (depending on how big you slice them)
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